How Sacred Heart Got Started: A Bishop and a Pope
The roots of a liberal arts college in the Catholic tradition in the Diocese of Peterborough go back to 1989, when an agreement with the Faculty of Theology at Saint Paul University launched the Certificate in Theology Program. Credits earned in this program were transferable towards a Bachelor's Degree conferred jointly by the University of Ottawa and Saint Paul University. Twenty-two courses were offered on a rotational basis for fourteen years. In 2006, with the personal encouragement of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, Bishop Nicola De Angelis took steps to renew and deepen this commitment to Catholic higher education in the form of Sacred Heart of Peterborough. Upon the retirement of Bishop De Angelis in early 2014, Bishop William McGrattan was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Peterborough by Pope Francis, and became Chancellor of Sacred Heart. It was under Bishop McGrattan's leadership that Sacred Heart first obtained consent from the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development to offer its own degree program in Catholic Studies. In 2017, we welcomed a new Bishop, and Chancellor of Sacred Heart College, His Excellency, the Very Reverend Daniel J. Miehm.
The City and County of Peterborough
Sacred Heart is in the heart of the City of Peterborough, near the banks of the Otonabee River just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto. Peterborough has a vibrant arts and music scene, a varied selection of restaurants, cafés and pubs, and a full complement of services combined with affordable housing and easy access to the surrounding lakes and wilderness of the world-famous Kawartha Lakes region.
The wider Peterborough County is a geographic region poised for economic and cultural growth. In the next decade this region can look forward to the extension of HWY 407 to HWY 115, the major artery to Peterborough heading in a northerly direction off of HWY 401. This and a possible rail link to Oshawa will make transportation back and forth to the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) more accessible, especially for young people. The most recent census data indicate a total population of 125,856 in Peterborough County, and almost one quarter of these households and individuals self-identify as Roman Catholic Christians.
A Decade of Progress: 2007-17
Our progress to date has been remarkable. The commencement of teaching; the acquisition of a campus; the beginnings of a library; the opening of two student residences; the establishment of a Board of Trustees; the generous participation and assistance of the priests and sisters of the Institute for the Incarnate Word; the support and assistance of the Sisters of St. Joseph; the development of a group of supportive teachers and academic advisers who constitute the nucleus of a faculty; the securing of substantial financial resources; the widespread support and good will of the community, including our Mayor; and support from a constituency of friends and donors that grows steadily throughout the Trent Valley, the GTA, and far beyond. A Memorandum of Understanding with Trent University in 2011 was also an important milestone. This association with Trent will continue to grow to our mutual benefit, including access to shared library resources and non-core breadth electives.
Sacred Heart sets out to enlarge and enrich the educational and cultural life and resources of our community, adding to the opportunities for postsecondary study and research, to the economy and other resources of the community. Furthermore, we are in keeping with one of the oldest and strongest traditions in Canadian higher education: Across Canada, there are universities which have a family of associated or federated or affiliated colleges which have some special religious tradition or heritage of their own: Catholic or Anglican or Methodist/United Church, Mennonite, Evangelical, Lutheran, Aboriginal, and more. These arrangements are well-established and they are an important part of the university scene in our country. They add tremendously to the quality of life and of education and scholarship in Canada.
The Board of Trustees
Sacred Heart has on its Board four members who have served as the heads of such Colleges: our Vice Chair, Dr. Theresa Topic, who has served as the head of Brescia College at Western University, as well as heading a College at Trent; His Worship, the Mayor of Peterborough, Mr. Daryl Bennett; Dr. Jacques Monet who has headed such Colleges at both Laurentian University and the University of Toronto; Dr. Richard Alway, the long-time President of St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto; and the Founding Chair of our Board of Trustees, Professor Tom Symons, Vanier Professor Emeritus and Founding President of Trent University. Finally, it should be remembered, too, that Peterborough is a community with solid, deep and strong Catholic roots and traditions.
Sacred Heart believes that there are compelling reasons to grow a liberal arts College in the Catholic tradition in Peterborough. It has been a collaborative effort of qualified people and a supportive community working towards a vision that will serve students from all parts of Canada and the world.